What is the process of a service review?

The facilitator’s role is much like a moderator or chairman. He is to keep the discussion progressing in a helpful direction and protect the group from digressing in a negative manner. The facilitator asks a question about the service or sermon and goes around the table soliciting thoughts and comments about that particular question. Here are a few examples:

– Did the service run on one continuous theme that led into the preaching?

– What encouraging comments do you have for those who led the service?

– What could have been done better?

– Any theological concerns with the songs chosen?

– Did the congregation seem to sing well? Why or why not?

– What was one truth prayed in the service that was particularly meaningful to you?

– Was the Lord’s Table administered in a biblically appropriate way?

– Were there any distractions that need to be mentioned?

– What connections did you see to the scripture readings and the sermon?

– What is something new you learned in the exposition of the text?

– What application from the sermon was particularly meaningful to you?

– Was there any portion of the sermon that you would suggest amending?

– Were there any errors spoken, or clarifications that need to be made by those who led or preached?

The facilitator can also use this time to have a short discussion about a topic if he feels it would benefit the group. Topics could include approaches to preaching a certain text, factors in determining songs, methods of applying texts edifyingly and faithfully, good templates to think through when praying publicly, and techniques for communicating effectively (e.g., voice inflection) are useful conversations to have with those leading, preaching, and aspiring to do so in your congregation.

This approach should leave those involved challenged to think through different issues in regard to the public gatherings of your church, but ultimately this time should encourage those who labored in leading and preaching, unless a particularly poor job was done. If you find these meetings have a more critical feel than mutual edification, you need to consider whether this time has taken too critical a direction and adjustments need to be made.

These posts have been helpful. Shane and I will try to use some of these questions in our weekly service evaluation. Another valuable resource that we have been using is “The Worship Sourcebook” (http://www.calvin.edu/worship/sourcebook/) and “Christ Centered Worship” (http://www.worshipmatters.com/2009/09/26/christ-centered-worship-by-bryan-chappell-book-review/). These have helped us think through our entire service as well as other special occasions (i.e. Advent, Easter). “The Worship Sourcebook” also has a few evaluation forms that you can use when evaluating your service. Some of the evaluation forms aren’t helpful, but there are a couple that have really good questions.